Linda LeBlanc: Honouring my father’s memory by giving thanks to Medicare

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On Tuesday, March 26 I attended the provincial and federal government’s joint announcement on health care funding held at the CHU Dumont hospital. Ministers Dominic LeBlanc and Mark Holland gave touching testimonials regarding their personal and family members’ experiences with life threatening illnesses and the vulnerability felt during those times of distress. Funds announced, which will be tied to accountability measures, will accelerate the ongoing establishment of primary health care teams, decrease surgical wait times, optimize seniors’ care and modernize health record integration.

Minister LeBlanc thanked a physician present in the audience for being part of the medical team who saved his life. This wonderful colleague also saved my father’s life in 2019.

Sadly, that same evening, I sat by my father’s bedside as he passed away peacefully at the age of 96. His lot was far from the privileged one of a government minister, yet he had access to quality health care on numerous occasions throughout the last decades of his life. This care, as well as the love and support of his family, contributed to his longevity.

Health care in New Brunswick has seen vast improvements in the last 100 years. Both my parents were born at home in the early 20th century, given lack of medical care access in poor rural New Brunswick communities. Both also lost infant siblings, a reallity all too common in the pre-Medicare period.

The quality of life of all New Brunswickers, irrespective of socioeconomic status, has been completely transformed by universal maternal and infant care and vast improvements in the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease. My efforts to support health care quality and accessibility in our province are deeply rooted in my loved ones’ pre-Medicare experiences. I will continue to do so in honor of my father’s memory.

Dr. Linda LeBlanc is a radiation oncologist practicing in Moncton